Newbie to chickens need silkie sexing advice please.

[Morag]

I got 2 big hens for my birthday last year, Beartrice got eaten by a fox after we'd only had her for a few weeks and I thought honey was lonely so I bought an incubator and hatched 6, then she went broody so I got some more eggs and she hatched 3, then I was hooked and hatched another 6 and now I have my 11 baby silkies. They are very addictive. My husband thinks I'm nuts but he did build me a lovely big coop with room for everyone. The first 3 female chicks started laying 2 weeks ago at 23 weeks.
I've re homed 3 roos as they were getting very competative (and noisey) but I still have 4 - silkie, a little partridge wyandotte and 2 big silver laced wyandottes (who might end up as sunday dinner, so long as I don't have to do the deed ).

 

[ChickyD]

Welcome!

Beautiful babies

 

[Kat's Silly Chickens]

from Texas.
We have 2 Silkie chicks 1 wk old, can't wait til they grow up.

 

[shortstaque]

Quote:
The one in charge sometimes says HAWK when there is a hawk or other danger around. Could be it, sorta sounds like honk.

 

[helenmar]

Well I never!Thats amazing they are a constant surprise these chickens! Come to think of it when larger birds fly over they do all run under their Gazebo,and at the time I was constructing an extra shelter in their pen -hammering wood excetera so they could have been warning of danger.Fascinating stuff -I never know what will happen next with these amazing little fluffy balls of fun!!!
My husband thinks Im crackers to be so in love with these small crits!

 

[helenmar]

Kat's Silly Chickens :

from Texas.
We have 2 Silkie chicks 1 wk old, can't wait til they grow up.

thank you-I am so glad I discovered the BYC website.Looked at a map as my hubby is currently working in Mobile!Not that far from Texas-he tells me the weather is lovely at the moment-I am very jealous as it is cold and raining here and there was snow in Scotland yesterday!The chicken hut I bought was quite a cheap one off ebay and obviously built in the far east.I have covered it in ducks back waterproofing paint and added extra roofing so hopefully it will be ok.I am hoping Hubby will be inspired by all the great coops I can show him on BYC and make me an uber coop.Until then I have also been cobbling together an extra shelter over the hut to try and keep the worst of the weather off.My husband will probably fall about laughing when he gets back and sees my er...' Carpentry' skills!He has been away a month though and I felt the slkies needed extra protection so couldnt wait for him to get back form the US.Will get some pics up soon.Thank you for your comment Helenx​

 

[allaboutdemchicks]

Welcome Mrs. Helen!

The Silkies in the U.K. are very different from those here in the States, not only in looks but genetics. With that said, I can only give you my experience in my limited time in breeding Silkies. What I see are non-bearded Silkies which create much larger wattles in the males. From your pictures I see an absence in wattles which leads me to say.... pullets!

Again, from my experience, (and I am in the South, in fact, not too far from the Hubby in Mobile) the Silkies handle the cooler temps much better than the heat. I've never lost a Silkie to the cold, but sadly, I can't say that about our Summer heat.

Now, about that honking.... hmmmm, here is a guess, when they are feeding they occationally get an obstruction and while trying to clear their throats and honk sound will come out. It is a strange sound but nothing like that of a young cockeral trying out his vocals!!

Have fun with your birds, and if all else fails and you indead have a young cockeral, just tell the neighbors that they are African ground parrots and one mimics the sound of a rooster!

Thank you for sharing your story and for your pictures, sooo cute!

Claudia

 

[helenmar]

Its so great to have all these wonderful people helping me with my small black fluffs!I took some more photos and of course it was miserable and raining so not too great but thought I would share-

everyone trying to work out what to do with corn on the cob!

Perkin- is he looking more Roo -like???I have no idea?

Perkin again.

Pootle and Posy (behind) keeping dry under their gazebo!

 

[helenmar]

The side of the run with their Gazebo to keep them dry.

The other side of the run with my new camo construction!

The chicken house under the camo which will hopefully keep the worst of the weather off their home.Its not carpentry par excellence at all lol but hopefully it will do the job until next year when we build a proper coop!

Helen and the fluffs- Posy ,Pootle and Perkin.

 

[helenmar]

Look what we turned into!-2 girls and a boy!

It does not matter we are very much loved.However Silkie cokerals are NOT quiet!!!!!